frankles free fridays

After Paul Oakenfold’s all too brief set came to an end at Electric Forest last month, I felt lost. Not wanting to let go of the experience, my crew found our way to back to the Forest and happened into Ancient Mermaids‘ set in the Jenkstars’ “Illuminarium,” which was kind of like a hippie science museum in the best possible way. The Mermaids self-describe their music as “underwater sea-crunk,” which is novel and funny, but I don’t have above-water sea crunk to compare it against. I will say that it was the perfect come down from the hyped up mood Oakenfold put us in, and for the festival itself.

I may also be partial to this because they asked for permission to use one of my photos from the show in their promotional materials. Hell yes, it’s okay. I’m happy to support sea crunk regardless of its environment.

It’s not that Diplo knows about every up and coming producer before everybody else. Giraffage opened for Porter last year on his epic Worlds tour, so it’s not like he was a secret. What Diplo does have a knack for is getting involved with producers at just the right time. He knows when they’re ripe and ready to put together a mix for Diplo & Friends. It’s still the obscure video game sound-effects by the same cat-obsessed Giraffage, but he hasn’t ever managed to create such a strong and cohesive playlist without any apparent weak spots. Diplo: A-gameifier?

Keeping on the topic of Wesley Pentz, the magical combination of Major Lazer and MØ got together again, this time to cover Frank Ocean’s “Lost.” Collectively, they take the sort of power-mope strain of Ocean’s vocals and squeeze it into a lamenting, but more optimistic reggae track. It’s one of those “so weird it works” concepts.